Recently, we had the chance to chat with Sporleder, who just relocated back to St. Louis with his family from spending the past 23 years in Los Angeles pursuing his acting career. You may recognize him from the movies Black Hawk Down, Being John Malkovich, Never Been Kissed, The Rock, or more recent television roles on Agent Carter, Sons of Anarchy, American Horror Story, True Blood, and Friends, just to name a few. After spending years refining his craft, Sporleder is expanding his vision and taking on new challenges. We're excited to share some of the insights we gained with you from our recent interview.
“All that matters is the work. I love to work and play as many parts as possible, it’s a blessing and a curse."
His last two jobs in LA before coming to St. Louis were on Sons of Anarchy and Agent Carter— which he notes were "stark contrasts”, a common theme in Sporleder’s career. He never wanted to make a firm commitment to being a comedic or dramatic actor. When it came down to making a decision he said that, “All that matters is the work, I love to work and play as many parts as possible, it’s a blessing and a curse”. His openness and passion have afforded him the opportunity to truly explore the span of the industry from a uniquely creative standpoint.
“The most valuable lesson I’ve ever learned is how to overcome rejection"
His passion for the film industry began we he was just 14 years old when Sporleder saw Rocky for the first time and began thinking about how movies were made. That’s when he knew he was going to go for it. His parents, both Social Workers and art hobbyists, were completely supportive. So, he made his way from University City High School to Webster University, where he ultimately got kicked out of for being a “bad student” and getting distracted by all the pretty actresses. Getting kicked out of school taught him his most valuable lesson as an actor: how to get fired. Later, he was at a workshop and met Jeremy Piven, who’s family ran a theatre workshop in Chicago, IL. Piven said “come to Chicago!” Next thing you know, Sporleder was driving to Chicago with $700 in his pocket. He spent the next 2 years gaining his foundational acting experience at the Piven Theatre Workshop.
It was at the Piven Theatre Workshop that Sporleder really began to develop his craft. For six years, Sporleder explored the Chicago theatre scene and became a founding member of John Cusak's Commedia company, New Crime Production. The crew would rent different small theatres throughout Chicago and adapt a play into the Comedia Dell'arte style. With the improv-heavy style of performance that Chicago is so revered for, the theatrical interpretations of New Crime Production really took off.
“Within the first six months of living in LA, I met all of my heroes"
Eventually, Sporleder decided to move out to LA and the scene was entirely different. After meeting all his heroes within 6 months, Sporleder formed a two-man show with Bill Cusack called the “Edgar and Edgar Show”, which he explains was all physical comedy a “cartoon, chuck jones type of show”. The two-man show became a hit and before he knew it, he was booked at his first job in a pilot starring Ryan O'Neal and Adam West, from there, his acting career just continued to take off. After years of being a professional actor, here are Sporleder’s 5 top pieces of advice for up-and-coming actors:
Create your own materials
Create different characters
Learn to use the technology.
Learn to make movies.
Find a community
Ask yourself: how much of this about being rich and famous?
Now that Sporleder is back in St. Louis, he is focusing on few new career goals: screenwriting and education. Stay tuned for more about his upcoming films, and if you're looking to hone your craft, make sure to check out his upcoming workshop at Midwest Flimmaker Workshop on June 11th: http://midwestfilmmaker.com/newworkshops/. Or his upcoming summer camp course for teens "Chicagostyle Theatre Games & Storytelling at COCA: http://adobe.ly/1RbfqIG